Preserving jar



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W. A. THIELE Feb. 25, 1936.

PRESERVING JAR Filed Jan. 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb 25, 1936.. W, ATHELE iwsmm PRESERVING JAR Filed Jan. 5, 1933 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to jars or similar containers intended tobe used in the preservation of fruit or other products by the well-knownmethods.

In the use of the methods, difliculty has been experienced in thecomplete exclusion of air from the contents of the container after ithas been filled and closed. It has been determined that such completeexclusion may be accomplished by storing the container in an inverted orupside down position, thus causing the vacuum spaceto occupy the closedbottom portion instead of being adjacent the closure where the vacuumtends to directly draw air past the sealing ring and into contact withthe contents, thereby causing the contents to spoil, It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a jar or receptacle which may be stoodupon its top in an inverted position, and further to so construct such areceptacle that it cannot be conveniently stood upon its bottom when thereceptacle is closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide convenient means forsupporting the receptacle when open in upright position to allow it tobe filled.

Other objects are to provide an eflicient closure for such a receptacleand means for securing the said closure upon the receptacle by theapplication of steady. spring pressure thereto.

h preferred b di n of the nvention is ust ed in the a mpany n drawin inwhich:-

Figure 1 is a side view of the receptacle in position for filling.

Figure 2 is a side view of the closed receptacle illustrating theformation for preventing it standing in an upright position.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a side view of the receptacle in its inverted position forstorage.

7 Figure 5 is a similar view in section.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view.

The reference numeral I indicates the body of the container having anopen mouth 8, at one end surrounded by an upstanding portion 9 extendingfrom a shouldered portion I0, all of this being well-known in jarsheretofore used for canning and other purposes. It should be noted thatthe inner walls of the mouth 8 are straight within the shoulderedportion Ill so that there is no cavity in which the contents may lodge.

The bottom ll of the receptacle is outwardly rounded in such manner thatwhen set thereon the receptacle will not remain upright but will fallupon its side, as indicated in Figure 2.

At points on the lower portions of the sides of the receptacle, butabove the bottom thereof are located outstanding lugs I2, preferablyformed integrally with the side walls of the body. These lugs i2 arelocated at a distance from the bottom sufiicient to keep them frominterfering with the receptacles overturning when set upon the roundedbottom I I, yet at a point where the diameter of the bottom is nogreater than the outside diameter of the upstanding portion 9.

In order to permit the receptacle to :be conveniently filled, and alsoto be securely closed and stored in inverted position, a combinedclosure and supporting member is provided. This member comprises acupped cap I3 having side walls I 4 and a top portion IS, the interiorof which is recessed as at l6, and being of a size to snugly fit aboutthe walls '9 surrounding the mouth of the receptacle, and thus close thereceptacle. The outer edges of the side walls M may be roundedoff as atMa to permit the introduction of a suitable instrument for loosening thetop when the receptacle is to be opened. On the outside of the topportion l5 of the cup are formed outstanding supporting pins or feet I!which are preferably integral with the member 13 and upon which suchmember may be stood in the manner of a stool, the top portionl5 beingspaced at a distance from the supporting surface when the cap is sosupported.

The cap I3 is provided with a central exteriorly thickened portion I8having a central socket l9 and a.- channel 20 extending from the socketthrough the wall thereof, in a direction towards a point between two ofthe pins H.

In order that the cap member l3 may be removably but securely fastenedin position as a closure, a lever 2| is pivoted to members carried by aring 22 surrounding the receptacle below the shouldered portion l9.Pivoted to this lever in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2 15a yoke 23adapted to be swung from the position shown in Figure 1 at the side ofthe receptacle to that shown in Figure 2 over the cap, and intended tobe tightened thereupon by the lever 2| in a wellknown manner. In orderto provide a more efficient clamping action which will keep the capunder a constant pressure over a long period of time, the yoke, at itscentral portion is looped to form an inwardly extending spring coil 24,which acts as a bearing element and also places a steady tension uponthe yoke 23 when it is drawn down by the lever 2|. The spring coil 24may be swung into the socket l9 through the channel 20 and whentightened, bears upon the top of the 5 cap within the socket. The coilas before stated, places the yoke under constant tension, which places asteady pressure upon the cap through the contact of the coil 24. It isto be noted that the arms of the yoke 23 are of such a length that whentightened the yoke will not at any point project above the ends of thesupporting pins H.

Reference to Figure 1 will show the manner of combining the receptacleand the supporting and closure member for filling the jar. The member I3is placed upon a table top or similar surface and the receptacle setupon it. The rounded bottom ll of the container sits within the cuppedportion I6 of the member [3 and the lugs l2 engage the edges of the walll4 holding the body 1 steady in an upright position. When the containerhas been filled it is lifted from the member I3 which is then reversedand placed in position as a closure and clamped in place by means of theyoke 23 and lever 2|.

Reference to Figures 4 and 5 will show the manner in which thereceptacle is intended to be stored. The pins IT extend beyond the yokeand form a steady support for the container in inverted position, inwhich position the contents are forced by gravity to the portion of thebody adjacent the mouth thereof, while the vacuum space is located in aposition adjacent what is ordinarily the bottom. In this position thecontents assist in acting as a seal at the joint between the body andthe closure. When the receptacle is filled with hot contents andinverted and. stood upon these pins, the space between the top portionl5 and the supporting surface permits air to circulate beneath thereceptacle, thus providing for uniform cooling by radiation on allsides, instead of causing cooling of the bottom to take place bytransmission of heat to the sides, as in the case of the usual type ofjar resting upon a flat bottom wall.

Reference to Figure 2 will show that if it is attempted to place thereceptacle upon the bottom H, it will fall over upon one side. If, infalling, one of the lugs should strike the supporting surface as shownin this figure, it will not support the container in the position thereillustrated, since at the time of such contact the point of gravity willhave passed a vertical line extending above the lug I2 in contact withthe table. Furthermore in the event of such contact, the fallingcontainer shows a tendency to be defiected from a straight line and tocontinue its fall to one side of the contacting lug.

It will be readily seen from the foregoing that the receptacle havingbeen filled and closed, the only convenient and secure way of storing itis in an inverted position, resting upon the pins IT, with theadvantageous results before described. Another advantage of thecombination of the receptacle and the closure and supporting member isthe ease with which the round bottom may be rendered inoperative toallow the filling of the receptacle.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation andmany advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a receptacle having a bottom that is incapableof supporting the receptacle in upright position, of a cover-securing,lever-operated yoke mounted on the receptacle in upright position, and acombined support and closure member having means on one side for closingthe receptacle when in use as a closure and for receiving and engagingthe lower portion of the receptacle when in use as a support, and

having legs on the other side to support the member and receptacle, thesaid legs projecting ax ially a distance from said closure at leastas'great as said yoke to permit the yoke to pass over them. i

' 2. The combination with a receptacle having a top opening, of arounded bottom that makes the receptacle normally incapable of standingthereon in an upright position, said receptacle having outstanding lugson its lower portion adjacent the bottom that allow the receptacle toroll on its rounded bottom, and a detachable cupshaped closure for theopen end of the receptacle and that detachably receives the roundedbottom thereof and operates as a support to hold the receptacle inupright position when removed from the open end thereof and that has arim on which the lugs rest to prevent the overturning of the receptacle.

'3. The combination with a receptacle having an open top and a bottomthat is incapable in itself of supporting the receptacle in uprightposition, of a closure and. supporting member having means on one sidethereof adapted to close the open top of the receptacle when positionedon the top thereof and said means being capable of engagement with thelower portion of the receptacle to support it in upright position whennot acting to close the said receptacle.

4. The combination with a combined closure and support for a receptacle,the said closure and support having a recess and a single rimsurrounding the recess, of a receptacle having an open end surrounded bya wall of pro-per size to be received in the recess and engaged by therim of the combined closure and support, and a rounded bottom also of asize to be received in the recess and engaged by the said rim.

5. The combination with a receptacle having a top opening, a bottom andoutstanding shouldered

